The present invention relates generally to wireless mesh networks, and more particularly to adaptation protocols for mesh networks in dynamic roadway environments.
A wireless mesh network is a communications network made up of radio nodes organized in a mesh topology. In a full mesh topology, each node is connected directly to each of the other nodes. In a partial mesh topology, nodes are connected to only some, not all, of the other nodes. The coverage area of the radio nodes working together as a single network is sometimes known as a mesh cloud. Wireless mesh networks can be implemented via various wireless standards, including 802.11, 802.16, and cellular technologies.
A mesh network provides the advantage of many-to-many connections between nodes, i.e., there is usually more than one possible route for communicating information between nodes. Mesh networks are also capable of dynamically updating and optimizing these connections. As new nodes become available they may be added to the mesh network. Nodes may also be removed from the mesh network. Thus, the topology of a mesh network is dynamic.
The nodes that form a mesh network may be highly mobile. For example, radio nodes may be part of an automobile or another type of motor vehicle that is constantly changing position. These nodes constantly roam (change position) within the mesh network. In addition, the size and topology of a mobile mesh network is constantly changing as nodes move in and out of a coverage area. The topology of a mobile mesh network changes even more frequently than the topology of a stationary mesh network.
Thus, there is a need in the art for protocols that define the topology of a wireless mesh network in a highly dynamic mobile environment.